Whose/what were these Sherman IVs in Italy?
- A table compiled to show transactions involving 1 Armoured Replacement Group show they received 33 Sherman IV "ex Units and Formations" during the period 11 May 1944 to 2 May 1945. Unfortunately it does not show what unit they came from, or exactly when they were received. The tanks also do not appear to have been re-issued to another unit.
The tank that doesn't exist
- A late 1944 document on vehicle naming mentions Sherman variants in the M32 series and includes amongst them the Sherman V ARV III. This is a version that is not supposed to have been produced, although there is a photo of one in postwar Greek service elsewhere on the web. Maybe an in-theatre modification using M32 components, or just another case of mark numbers being reserved for vehicles not actually received?
Covenanters in Italy
- It's well known that the Australian had a few Covenanter Bridgelayers in the Pacific. But.....an 8th Army return from January 1944 shows 1 Canadian Armoured Brigade in Italy having 2 Covenanter Bridgelayers on strength as well. The Brigade's war diary of 23rd February 1944 notes that: "13 Corps have requested 8th Army to release two Valentine Bridge Layer Tanks for this formation. These are to replace the two Covenanters now held as there are no spares available for them." Whilst these vehicles continue to show on AFV returns until May 1944 I've found no evidence they were actually used in operations. A comment elsewhere suggests the cooling arrangements were revised on the bridgelayers - though whether this did anything to rectify the Covenanters habit of over-heating isn't apparent.